Alonso de Alvarado Montaya González de Cevallos y Miranda (1500–1556) was a

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

conquistador and knight of the

Order of Santiago The Order of Santiago (; es, Orden de Santiago ), is a religious and military order founded in the 12th century. It owes its name to the Patron Saint of Spain, "Santiago" (St. James the Greater). Its initial objective was to protect the pilgri ...

. He was born at Secadura de Trasmiera.Leon, P., 1998, The Discovery and Conquest of Peru, Chronicles of the New World Encounter, edited and translated by Cook and Cook, Durham: Duke University Press, After a period in Mexico under the orders of Hernán Cortés, he joined the campaign of

Francisco Pizarro Francisco Pizarro González, Marquess of the Atabillos (; ; – 26 June 1541) was a Spanish conquistador, best known for his expeditions that led to the Spanish conquest of Peru. Born in Trujillo, Spain to a poor family, Pizarro chose ...

. He went to

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

with his uncle Pedro de Alvarado in search of gold in 1534. There he fought against the armies of

Manco Inca Yupanqui Manco Inca Yupanqui ( 1515 – c. 1544) (''Manqu Inka Yupanki'' in Quechua) was the founder and monarch (Sapa Inca) of the independent Neo-Inca State in Vilcabamba, although he was originally a puppet Inca Emperor installed by the Spaniards. ...

that were besieging Lima in 1536, against

Diego de Almagro Diego de Almagro (; – July 8, 1538), also known as El Adelantado and El Viejo, was a Spanish conquistador known for his exploits in western South America. He participated with Francisco Pizarro in the Spanish conquest of Peru. While subd ...

in 1537 and at the

Battle of Las Salinas The Battle of Las Salinas was a military conflict and decisive confrontation between the forces of Hernando and Gonzalo Pizarro against those of rival conquistador Diego de Almagro, on April 6, 1538, during the Conquest of Peru. Both camps clai ...

in 1538. He later fought at

Chupas After the assassination of Francisco Pizarro, in retaliation for his father's execution in 1538, Diego de Almagro II, ''El Mozo'', continued to press claims as the rightful ruler of Peru and as leader of his father's supporters. His claims w ...

and Jaquijahuana. While charged by some contemporaries with avarice and cruelty, it is undeniable that during the period of civil wars in Peru (about 1537 to 1555) Alvarado was an unflinching and determined adherent to the interests of the Spanish crown. He always sided with those whom he thought to be sincere representatives of the crown, and it was not always profitable and safe to be on that side. Thus in 1537, he commanded the troops of Pizarro's followers, when

claimed the mythical

Inca The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, (Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The admin ...

city of

Cuzco Cusco, often spelled Cuzco (; qu, Qusqu ()), is a city in Southeastern Peru near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region and of the Cusco Province. The city is the seventh most populous in Peru; ...

. He was defeated and captured by the latter at the Battle of Abancay.Prescott, W.H., 2011, The History of the Conquest of Peru, Digireads.com Publishing, Effecting his escape under great difficulties as well as dangers, and rejoining Pizarro, whom he looked upon as the legitimate governor of Peru, he took part in all the bloody troubles that followed, always as a prominent military leader and always unsuccessful when in immediate command. Still, he was counted upon as a mainstay of the Spanish cause, and occupied a high military position. Alvarado married in Spain while on a short visit, in 1544. When Francisco Hernández Girón initiated a rebellion in 1553, Alvarado was put in command of the forces to oppose him. At Chuquinga, in 1554, Alvarado suffered a signal defeat at the hands of the insurgents. Overcome by melancholy in consequence of that last disaster, he pined away and died. His principal achievement was the pacification of Chachapoyas in northeastern Peru, in the years 1535 and 1536, this being the first step taken from Peru towards the Amazonian basin.

Search for El Dorado

Alonso de Alvarado was the precursor of the expeditions that penetrated the Amazon Basin: he departed from

Trujillo, Peru , population_note = , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 13001 , area_code = 044 , website Municipality of Trujillo, footnotes ...

and, crossing the Andes, came in 1535 to the land of the Chachapoyas, where a few years later the city that today is the capital of the department of Amazonas was founded. The account of the chronicler Pedro Cieza of León mentions the first foundation of the city of Chachapoyas:

On the fifth of September in the year of the Lord one thousand five hundred and thirty eight Ihsu Christo, with sixty Spaniards under the control of captain Alonso de Alvarado arrived in .." Xalca " and made the first foundation of Chachapoyas.

Also present at the foundation was Captain Luis Valera, father of the Cachapoyana Jesuit Blas Valera, of whose chronicles the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega nourished for the description of the Tawantinsuyo in his "Real Comments of the Incas". In Chachapoyas, Alvarado had knowledge of the fabulous treasures that a legendary city was keeping in the thickness of the forest, the mythical "El Dorado" and from there he organized new expeditions along the Marañón River, founding also the city of

Moyobamba Moyobamba () or Muyupampa ( Quechua ''muyu'' circle, ''pampa'' large plain, "circle plain") is the capital city of the San Martín Region in northern Peru. Called "Santiago of eight valleys of Moyobamba" or "Maynas capital". There are 50,073 inha ...

in 1540.

Civil Wars in Peru

Alvarado also took part in the civil wars that faced Diego de Almagro and Francisco Pizarro. He was made a prisoner by Almagro in 1537 but he managed to escape. Later with the followers of Pizarro and in support of his allegiance to the king, Alvarado defeated the followers of Almagro in the

in 1538. On the order of Francisco Pizarro, he looked in 1539 for the ideal place for the foundation of a city halfway between Lima and Cusco. Thus, along with Francisco de Cárdenas, he took part in the foundation of

Huamanga Ayacucho (, qu, Ayak'uchu) is the capital city of Ayacucho Region and of Huamanga Province, Ayacucho Region, Peru. During the Inca Empire and Viceroyalty of Peru periods the city was known by the name of Huamanga (Quechua: Wamanga), and it c ...

. Avenging the death of his father, Diego de Almagro II, "El Mozo" (The Lad), killed Francisco Pizarro in 1541. In the following year, the governor Cristóbal Vaca de Castro, allied to the Alonso de Alvarado, defeated "El Mozo" in the battle of Chupas. The loyalty and the merits of Alvarado were honored by

Carlos I Carlos I may refer to: *Carlos I of Spain (1500–1558), also Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire *Carlos I of Portugal (1863–1908), King of Portugal *Juan Carlos I of Spain Juan Carlos I (;, * ca, Joan Carles I, * gl, Xoán Carlos I, ...

of Spain who he named a member of the

and Marshall of Peru, when he returned to Spain and married. Alvarado returned to Peru in 1546. In April 1548, Alvarado had to prove again the allegiance to the Crown fighting against the rebellious younger brother of Pizarro,

Gonzalo Gonzalo may refer to: * Gonzalo (name) * Gonzalo, Dominican Republic, a small town * Isla Gonzalo, a subantarctic island operated by the Chilean Navy * Hurricane Gonzalo, 2014 See also * Gonzalez (disambiguation) * Gonzales (disambiguation) * ...

. Under the control of Pedro de la Gasca, he ensured victory in the

battle of Jaquijahuana The Battle of Jaquijahuana was fought between the forces of Gonzalo Pizarro and Pedro de la Gasca, on April 9, 1548, during the Revolt of the Encomenderos by the Spanish conquistadores. After the successful Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire ...

, but this victory did not calm the many discontented Spanish settlers opposed to the increasing control of the envoys of the Spanish court. In 1553, as captain-general and chief justice in La Plata and Potosí, he put down a rebellion by Sebastian de Castilla. In 1554, Alvarado confronted the rebel forces led by Francisco Hernández Girón and was defeated in the Battle of Chuquinga. Alvarado died in

Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of ...

in 1556. Chachapoyas was, from his foundation, a city - port of that numerous expeditions that left for the forest. The legend of "El Dorado" inspired the thirst for wealth of the first Spanish explorers. Although the enthusiasm for the tasty reward was commanding his sleep, his companies met frustadas for unsuspected enemies: the famine, the illnesses, the Indians and the forest itself. "El Dorado" described from the imaginary one of the conqueror, is a city which streets and temples are covered of gold and he keeps, in his constructions and squares, made pieces of massive gold. Sometimes he was looked to the north, from Chachapoyas; others, from Quillabamba; in other occasions, some more recent explorers located his track (that later they "lost") in the central forest and inclusive in Colombia. Nevertheless, this golden legend opened the doors for the initial colonization and evangelization of some of the most extensive and remote regions of South America.

References

Sources

* Taken from es.wikipedia.org Alonso de Alvarado {{DEFAULTSORT:Alvarado, Alonso de 1500 births 1556 deaths People from Trasmiera Spanish conquistadors Cantabrian conquistadors Spanish generals 16th-century Spanish people Colonial Peru Knights of Santiago 16th-century Peruvian people